Hi there! My name is Liz, and I'm so glad you're here.

I'm a Registered Counsellor with the Australian Counselling Association (Level 2) and hold a Master's in Counselling. Over the years, I've worked with children, young people, and adults through counselling, mentoring, and crisis intervention roles. I enjoy supporting people through trauma, grief, neurodivergence, complex mental health challenges, and major life transitions. I bring a gentle, warm energy to my work and a genuine love for all things weird and wonderful. If you’ve ever felt “too much,” “too different,” or like you don’t quite fit, you’ll probably feel right at home here.

I'm a member of the LGBTQIA+ community and bring lived experience of chronic illness and complex grief to my work. I know what it's like to navigate invisible pain, to grieve losses others don't recognise and to move through systems that weren't built with people like us in mind.

I founded Among Puffins to support those who’ve spent so long quietly supporting others that their own needs went unseen and for anyone who’s ever felt a little odd, out of place, or different. This is a space where your experience is truly seen, your voice can finally be heard, and you can rest from carrying it all alone.

Why ‘Among Puffins’?

The name 'Among Puffins' reflects the heart of my counselling practice; creating a space where uniqueness is recognised, differences are celebrated and no one is made to feel invisible.

Puffins are small, resilient seabirds that often go unnoticed whilst they quietly navigate harsh environments, adapt with creativity and thrive living on the edges. They're strikingly unique in appearance yet are often overlooked. To me, they symbolise the strength and beauty of those who have felt different, misheard, or misunderstood in their lives; whether due to neurodivergence, identity, trauma, or simply not fitting into narrow societal expectations.

This practice is a space among puffins - where your individuality is not only accepted but honoured. You're invited to show up as you are, and every part of you, even the parts long silenced or hidden, is welcome here.

Who This Space Is For

If you've spent your life being strong for everyone else, you know how lonely that feels. You're the one people rely on, but no one asks how you're really doing.

This space is for you if:

• Your struggles are invisible—chronic illness, neurodivergence, unrecognized grief, or the weight of carrying family roles

• You've been dismissed by systems that were supposed to help

• You're exhausted from always coming last

• You've supported loved ones through addiction, illness, domestic violence, or crisis and lost yourself in the process

• You've been ostracised, misunderstood, or made to feel like you don't belong

• You're tired of explaining or justifying how hard things are

If you're looking for a space where you don't have to prove anything, you've found it.

Our Values

We ‘re not broken - we are human.
I believe our struggles aren't personal failings. They're often responses to living in systems that weren't designed for us, especially if we're neurodivergent, deeply feeling, chronically ill, or culturally marginalised. You hold the power to reshape the narratives you've been given and tell new, truer stories about who you are.

Safety comes first, trust is earned.
I work to create a space where you feel genuinely safe. Trust is built over time through consistency, respect, and care.

Authenticity matters more than conformity.
You don't need to mask, minimise, or make yourself smaller here. Your differences aren't deficits, they're part of what makes you, you.

Human connection heals.
Counselling here isn’t about ‘fixing’ you. It's about being truly seen and heard, sometimes for the very first time. That connection is what creates change. When someone finally witnesses your experience without trying to minimise it, explain it away, or rush you past it, something shifts. You begin to see yourself differently. The parts you've hidden or been ashamed of can finally breathe. That's where healing happens; not in strategies or solutions - although these can be helpful too! - but in the profound experience of being genuinely understood.

All emotions have purpose.
Emotions, even the uncomfortable ones - carry important information. When we give them space, we can understand what they're trying to tell us.

Grief for what was creates space for what can be.
Honouring loss is essential to moving forward authentically. For a lot of us, we carry loss that has yet to be recognised. This can include the loss of a certain childhood experience you never got to have, the loss of physical ability as an illness changes the capabilities of your body or the loss of hope/belief in a system when its let you down more than once. Unacknowledged loss stumps the grieving we need to undertake in order to make space for the alternative possibilities of the future.

My Approach

I understand that many of our struggles stem from systems that weren't designed for us. At Among Puffins, I work with this awareness to support people who feel stuck in patterns that keep them from living fully or authentically.

I work collaboratively, honouring your story, emotions, values, and the different parts of yourself - even when they seem to work in opposition to each other. My approach is grounded in feminist theory, cultural humility, and the belief that you are the expert on your own life.

Together, we'll explore what matters most to you; identity, purpose, self-worth, relationship difficulties, overwhelming emotions, or whatever it is thats keeping you from living as your authentic self.

I draw on therapeutic modalities including Emotion-Focused Therapy, Narrative Therapy, Acceptance & Commitment Therapy, and Parts Work. Learn more about how I work →

What to Expect

Counselling at Among Puffins is warm, present-focused, and centred on you.

In our sessions, you'll find:

• A space free from judgment or expectations

• Someone who listens deeply and believes you

• Collaborative exploration

• Respect for your pace and readiness

• Compassion & Curiosity

• Genuine understanding and insight into invisible struggles and systemic barriers

Ready to start?
Book your free 15-minute chat → (phone, video, or text)